Phoenix Contact launches fiber-optic converter system

Phoenix Contact reports that its new fiber-optic converter system enables users to transmit fiber-optic data for the most popular serial communication interfaces and bus systems. PSI-MOS fiber-optic converters reportedly allow complete isolation of Interbus, Profibus, Modbus, DeviceNet, CANopen, RS-232, RS-485, and other networks by converting the electrical copper-based signals to glass or polymer-fiber technology.

Discrete wiring for power is no longer necessary with the optional system power supply, power terminal block, and T-foot power bus coupler that mount on a DIN rail. PSI-MOS products also feature fiber-optic line monitoring and diagnostics, which increases operational reliability. Onboard diagnostics offer detailed information about signal quality on the fiber-optic path. The optical power budget is displayed via an LED bar graph. This makes power metering virtually unnecessary.

In addition to fiber-optic status, PSI-MOS’ diagnostics also monitor the copper and fiber-optic bus lines for prohibitively long dominant bit level (18-bit). If failure occurs, each module disconnects the affected bus segment to prevent transmission of corrupted data packages into neighboring bus segments. After the faulty condition is corrected, the affected segments are automatically reconnected.

PSI-MOS system is only 22.5-mm wide, making it ideal for control cabinet and industrial applications. The modular system allows a base module to be used for point-to-point configurations of line structures and extended bus drops. Extension modules can be added to allow flexible network configurations, such as star couplers with up to 20 fiber-optic ports.

Benefits to using fiber-optic cabling in industrial applications include immunity to EMI, RFI and transient surge concerns, enabling longer bus drops, and creating star and tree topologies in the network system.

—Jim Montague, news editor, Control Engineering, jmontague@reedbusiness.com

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